


Nightmares

by kingsmanstories



Series: Gretel [1]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-26 19:53:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18723841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingsmanstories/pseuds/kingsmanstories
Summary: German - English translations!Liebling - DarlingAlbtraum - NightmareEs war schrecklich - It was horribleMein süßes Mädchen - My sweet girlIch liebe dich - I love youIch liebe dich auch mein Liebling - I love you too, my darling





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> German - English translations! 
> 
> Liebling - Darling  
> Albtraum - Nightmare  
> Es war schrecklich - It was horrible  
> Mein süßes Mädchen - My sweet girl  
> Ich liebe dich - I love you  
> Ich liebe dich auch mein Liebling - I love you too, my darling

A large wave of air suddenly hit your lungs, making you cough as you lurched up in your bed, pyjamas soaked in sweat and heart racing against your chest. Panting, you closed your eyes and tried to calm your rapidly beating heart before making the move to stand up, legs shaky.

Nightmares weren’t an uncommon thing for you, however it was uncommon for it to be this _horrific_. Pulling on your dressing gown and fastening it around your waist, you took a deep breath before padding over to the door and making your way to the communal kitchen in Xavier’s manor.

A sigh of relief left your lips as you saw nobody else was in the kitchen besides yourself, and you quickly put the kettle on and got a mug for a cup of tea. Seconds after you’d put the sugar in, a familiar voice pulled you from your thoughts, making you jump slightly.

“Liebling?” As you turned to face your father, he immediately recognised the crestfallen look on your features and sighed. You’d suffered from nightmares ever since you were a child, and even now you were almost nineteen years old, they didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. “Albtraum?”

You nodded, abandoning your tea-making to walk into your fathers arms, your own wrapping around his middle as your head rested on his chest. He placed a kiss to the top of your hair, rubbing your back gently. “Es war schrecklich, Papa.” Sniffling, you let the tears flow freely down your reddened cheeks. “I just want them to stop.”

It was heartbreaking for Erik to see you when you were like this, especially when finding you in the kitchens at 4am wasn’t becoming a rarity. He hoped the more you gained control of your mutation you’d get less of them, however this wasn’t seeming like the case so far. “I know, mein süßes Mädchen.”

He held you like that for what seemed like hours, stroking your messy hair and whispering comforting words into your ear. The sound of the kettle’s boiling grinding to a halt caught his attention and he looked at your discarded mug on the side. “How about I make us both a cup of tea, and we can talk about whatever you want, for as long as you want, whatever’ll take your mind off it to make you feel better?”

You nodded against his chest, wiping your eyes as he gently unwrapped you from his arms and continued your tea-making where you’d left off, getting an extra mug for himself from the cupboard. “Danke, Papa.” You said softly, taking a seat at the table. “Ich liebe dich.”

“Ich liebe dich auch, mein Liebling.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guten Morgen - good morning  
> Wie gehts? - how are you?  
> Nicht wirklich - not really  
> Liebling- darling  
> Mein süßes mädchen - my sweet girl  
> Ich liebe dich mehr als die Welt. - I love you more than the world  
> Ich liebe dich auch - I love you too

More often than not, you found yourself in the kitchens at ungodly hours in the morning, cheeks rosy and eyes swollen from previously shed tears from another night terror. They seemed relentless, plaguing your once peaceful slumber into something far more twisted, far more _petrifying_.

Luckily, your father hadn’t witnessed another one of your 4am-cry-and-drink-tea sessions, and you’d just prefer to keep it that way. Sitting down and having the hour and a half long chat about anything that came to mind certainly helped you take your mind off it, but you didn’t want to bother him, you knew he was busy and needed his sleep, it worried you when he looked like he was about to drop on the floor during your training later that day.

Pulling your dressing gown tighter around your waist, you flicked the kettle on and leaned against the counter, sighing as you put your head in your hands to let our another sob. Images from the twisted dream still haunted your thoughts, however desperately you tried to rid of them.

From the sound of your sniffling and the loud kettle boiling, you didn’t notice someone enter the room. You jumped as soon as you felt an arm wrap around your shoulders, your hands dropping from your face as you looked up to see who it was, panic turning into relief once you realised it was only Charles, relaxing into his side once you’d caught your breath back.

“Only me, love.” Charles said softly, guiding you over to the table and sitting you down, taking the chair beside you for himself. Erik had told him what had happened a couple of weeks ago, and only just now did Charles realise the extent of it. “Do you want me to get your dad?”

“No!” You said a little too quickly with wide eyes, making Charles raise his eyebrows at you in question. “Don’t tell him Uncle Charles, please.” You said quietly, averting your gaze from the man beside you to your lap, fidgeting with the hem of your dressing gown.

“And why’s that?” Charles sighed, taking one of your hands and squeezing gently. “If this is becoming a nightly thing love, which by the looks of it it is, you need to tell him.”

Looking back up at Charles, you felt the all-too familiar feeling of your eyes watering and you reached up for your free hand to wipe at your cheeks as you answered. “I don’t want to bother him, he has too much on his plate as it is. I felt awful for keeping him up a couple of weeks ago.”

Charles gave you a soft smile, shaking his head. “You know that’s not true love, he’d do anything to make you feel better or help you. Even though you are almost an adult now, you’re his little girl, he’d go to the ends of end Earth to make sure you felt better.”

You let out another shaky sob and Charles pulled you into a hug, hand rubbing your back soothingly. “I don’t want him to think I’m weak, I don’t want him to think I’m not capable of controlling my mutation.” You sobbed, swearing quietly to yourself in German as you reached up a hand to wipe your eyes. “I want him to be proud of me.”

Charles gently pulled you off him, brushing the loose strands of hair out of your face. “He’ll always be fiercely proud of you, whatever you do. Never in a million years would he think you’re weak, darling.” He gave you a comforting smile, though on the inside he knew he had to tell Erik, he couldn’t let you go on like this. He saw how utterly helpless his closest friend looked the other week when he was explaining what had happened, and Charles wants nothing more than to help.

Charles’ mind wondered back to when you were just a tiny tot, no older than four, when Erik had brought you round to visit one afternoon. At that point, you barely spoke any English at all, Erik wanting you to speak German as your mother tongue. Charles had been sitting with you, reading a book to you in English, not expecting you to pick up any of it, yet he remembers the look of pure pride on your father’s face like it was yesterday when you began to repeat after him in English.

“Must I tell him?” You asked quietly, sniffling. The last thing you wanted to do was put more stress on your father, hence why you’d tried so hard to keep this from him.

Charles sighed, nodding his head. “You really must, darling. He’d do anything in his power to help you, and you know that.” He said softly, glancing at the clock on the wall. 5am. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed, and you can talk to him when he’s up.”

Charles walked you back to your room, giving you a gentle hug before closing the door behind you, making his way back to his own room, praying that you did indeed tell your father in the morning.

You didn’t manage to get back to sleep, in fact, you didn’t even try. Your mind was run ragged with how you were going to tell your father, and fears on how he’d react. Before you knew it, the sun was shining through the blinds in your bedroom window and you hauled yourself out of bed begrudgingly.

Tying up your hair and pulling on some clean clothes, you made your way back to the kitchen, a lot more busier upon your second visit this morning, and you immediately spotted Erik making some pancakes by the stove. “Guten Morgen, Papa.”

Erik turned towards you with a smile as you stood beside him, leaning down to press a quick kiss to your forehead. “Guten Morgen, Liebling. Wie gehts?”

Hesitating at his question, you turned to see if anyone would be listening into your conversation, yet everyone seemed to be pre occupied with their own breakfast, including Charles, who’s voice you could hear in your head saying “ _Remember to tell him.”_ Turning back to Erik, you thought carefully before answering. “Can I talk to you later, Papa?”

Erik furrowed his eyebrows in concern, frowning as he flipped the pancakes in the pan. “Of course. Is everything alright?” He asked quietly, quickly getting two plates out from the cabinet above and putting yours onto the plate in front of you.

Grabbing the syrup, you drizzled it onto your breakfast before passing it to Hank, who was sitting at the table with Raven and Charles. “Nicht wirklich.” You said quietly, before sitting in the spot next to Charles, Erik sitting on the other side of you.

While you ate your breakfast, there was plenty of small talk to be had, Hank making you all laugh more than enough times, giving the vibes of the room a well needed boost.

“Shall we go for a walk, Liebling?” Erik asked when you’d finished washing up your plate.

You dried your hands on the towel hanging from the oven handle and nodded, silently following your father to the outside gardens, ignoring the pointed look Charles gave you ask you passed him.

“Now. What’s troubling you?” Erik asked as you walked beside him, eyes trained on the opulent gardens filled with vibrant and beautiful flowers.

It’d broke his heart to see you how you were the other week, having felt like he’d failed as a parent, your _only_ parent, for not taking action sooner. He’d gone straight to Charles to seek advice, and didn’t come out much wiser.

You were silent while you chose your words, crossing your arms over your chest as you pondered. The more you thought, the more tearful you felt, and before you knew it your eyes were watering again. “I don’t know what to do, Papa,” you cried, not noticing that he’d stopped walking until he gently stopped you with his hand.

“Don’t know what to do about what?” Erik led you over to a wooden bench by a water feature, one you were always fascinated with when you were small.

“These-These _nightmares_ , night terrors, whatever they are. I can’t sleep, I’m up almost every night, I don’t know what to _do_.” You said, looking up at your father with a look that broke his heart to see.

“Why don’t you wake me, Liebling? You know I’d never mind.” He said softly, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you rested your head on his chest.

“I don’t want to bother you, you looked really tired last time when you stayed with me and I felt _awful-“_

“You know you could never bother me, ever. It doesn’t matter about me, as long as you’re safe and happy, I’m happy, ja?” Erik replied, kissing the top of your head as he whispered words of comfort into your hair between your sobs.

“I don’t-dont want you to think I’m weak, I try so hard to make you proud of me Papa, and I don’t want you to think I’m not capable of-“

“Mein süßes Mädchen, you make me the proudest Papa alive every single day, and nothing could ever change that. Not once have I ever thought that you’re not capable, you’re not weak for having these nightmares, Liebling.” He said softly, pulling you back slightly so he could look at you as he spoke. “I’m going to help you, in any way I can. Don’t feel bad for waking me if you want to talk to me, about anything, alright?”

“Danke, Papa.” You said tearfully, giving him a small smile as he wiped your tears with his thumb. It felt like a gigantic weight had been lifted off your shoulders, and you made a mental note to visit Charles later and admit to him he was right.

“I’ll never not be proud of you.” Erik gave you a soft smile, pulling you in for another hug, which you were grateful for. “Ich liebe dich mehr als die Welt.”

“Ich liebe dich auch, Papa.”


End file.
